Hey folks! I'm making the leap from an i7 7700k to a 9800X3D and just waiting for a few last parts to show up. I've built PCs before, but I haven't kept up with tech lately, and I'm planning to do a fresh install of Windows 11. What steps should I take to ensure everything runs smoothly and securely?
Specifically, I'm curious about:
- Which BIOS settings are crucial to modify?
- What Windows settings should I look at?
- What are the best stress testing applications?
- Should I mess around with undervolting, or is that unnecessary?
I'd appreciate any guides or tips you may have!
Thanks!
4 Answers
When you build your PC, consider updating the BIOS for the latest improvements and use the built-in update option. XMP/EXPO is your friend for RAM settings — make sure that’s enabled.
For stress testing, I find benchmarks can sometimes create unnecessary pressure, so I usually stop at regular usage tests. Additionally, managing your fan curves correctly can help.
Keep in mind that the 9800X3D has safety limits to avoid overheating, so as long as you're below those thresholds, you're doing fine!
Definitely enable XMP or EXPO (if you're using AMD), that's super important for RAM stability. For stress testing, use Cinebench for your CPU and something like FurMark for your GPU to check their limits.
If you’re keeping the same SSD/HDD, a full reset of Windows is usually best. I personally wipe the drive completely, but you can try to reset and keep files. Change the BIOS setting to XMP, and leave Windows as is for now.
For stress testing, I stick with FurMark for the GPU and Cinebench for CPU. As for undervolting, it’s probably overkill for most users unless you want to dive deep into tweaking.
You might want to check out some videos for guides; channels like LTT have good ones. To answer your questions:
- For BIOS, definitely enable XMP/EXPO, and maybe tweak fan curves or power settings.
- In Windows, I suggest looking at settings like mouse acceleration and power modes to fit your style.
- Stress test with Cinebench and 3DMark - they’re pretty reliable.
- As for undervolting, I don’t think it’s necessary for your CPU unless it starts pulling a lot of power. Just monitor it for stability first.
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